This undated photo shows the 2023 Conference of China Study Tour Union for Teenagers from Hong Kong and Macao in Xi'an, Shaanxi, on Nov 26. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

The 2023 Conference of China Study Tour Union for Teenagers from Hong Kong and Macao took place in Xi'an, Shaanxi, on Nov 26.

Nearly 300 participants, including representatives from the cultural and tourism sectors, study tour organizations, industry associations, and airline companies of the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, as well as Hong Kong and Macao school principals, teachers, and students attended the conference.

The study tour union currently has 31 culture and tourism departments (bureaus) of provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) nationwide as member units

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Kong Lun, deputy director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that since its establishment in 2015, the China Study Tour Union for Teenagers from Hong Kong and Macao has achieved positive results through collaborative efforts in product development, promotion and market development. The union has evolved into an essential platform for Hong Kong and Macao youth to gain insights into their motherland and broaden their perspectives. To date, tens of thousands of Hong Kong and Macao youth have engaged in activities through explorations, studies and observations, which has effectively expanded channels of communication between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong as well as Macao youth.

Various activities were held during the conference, including the promotion conference on Shaanxi's culture and tourism, keynote presentations on study tours, the exchange meeting among innovative partners, and the release of 47 high-quality study tour routes recommended by 29 member units of the union. These routes cover diverse themes such as museum tours, heritage exploration, poetry journeys, red-themed tours and technology-themed tours.

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The study tour union currently has 31 culture and tourism departments (bureaus) of provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) nationwide as member units. The union is committed to nurturing and promoting the market of study tours for teenagers from Hong Kong and Macao visiting the Chinese mainland, enhancing their understanding of traditional Chinese culture, and deepening the collaborative development between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong as well as Macao in the fields of culture, tourism, and education.